Tuesday, July 26, 2005

The (Not so) Great Debates

The election's been announced and so have proposed details of the televised leaders debates. Disappointingly TVNZ have opted for Mark "Walrus" Sainsbury over Simon Dallow to conduct their debates.Why? Why? Why? Dallow is one of the few television presenters who will not allow his interview subjects to repeat the same talking points over and over again, he asks pointed questions repeatedly and most of the time calls politicians on their bullshit.Sainsbury seems too much like he wants to be an MP's 'special friend' and his "political insight" seems to be based on whatever John Armstrong wrote in the Herald three weeks ago.

TV3 have opted for their own version of NZ Political "Survivor" with the bottom two of the eight parliamentary parties to be 'cut' from their six-party debate. Taking it as a given that the Progressives will be bottom, it's going be a interesting fight between United, Act and the Maori Party for those final two spots in the 6 party debate. TV3 will make the decision based on their own polling, which in June would have seen ACT cut on the basis of their 1.5% to United's 1.9%. It will be interesting to see what TV3 will do if a non-parliamentary party like Destiny polls 2% and sneaks ahead of ACT and United Future.

Along with the multi-party free for all debate, TV3 will also hold a leaders debate exclusively for Labour and National. However they reserve the right to invite Winston if they choose to. Labour should be lobbying TV3 hard to get Winston included. Splitting the oppostion and undermining National's credibility as the legitimate opposition party is a strategy they must pursue. Not to mention Helen and Winston tag-teaming on Brash would be television gold for the ages.